An Electronic Arts office in Los Angeles. The company is well-known for popular video game franchises like Madden N.F.L. and Battlefield. (Credit: Mike Blake/Reuters)
By Lauren Hirsch and Matthew Goldstein. Published September 29, 2025. Updated 11:28 a.m. ET.
In a groundbreaking announcement on Monday, video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) revealed its agreement to be taken private in a deal valued at approximately $55 billion. The audacious acquisition is spearheaded by a powerful group of investors, notably including a firm managed by President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
The terms of the deal propose a cash payment of $210 per share to stockholders, representing a significant 25 percent premium over the company’s share price prior to the news of the transaction becoming public.
If successfully concluded, this would shatter previous records, becoming the largest buyout of a publicly traded company to date, even without adjusting for inflation. The investor group plans to partially finance this colossal deal with a substantial $20 billion loan from JPMorgan Chase.
The consortium behind the deal is led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which already holds a considerable 10 percent stake in Electronic Arts. They are joined by the prominent private equity firm Silver Lake and Mr. Kushner’s Affinity Partners.
This strategic move is the latest in a series of aggressive steps by the Saudi fund to expand its footprint in the gaming sector, aligning with its broader objective of diversifying investments beyond traditional oil revenues. In 2021, the fund established the Savvy Games Group, an initiative aimed at directing a planned $38 billion investment into the burgeoning gaming industry. Riyadh recently hosted the Esports World Cup, a major video game tournament featuring an impressive $70 million in prize money.
The Saudi fund’s foray into gaming is part of a larger commitment by the kingdom to invest heavily in sports. This expansive strategy includes its controversial backing of LIV Golf, a direct competitor to the PGA Tour, a significant stake in the Professional Fighters League, and substantial investments in both domestic and international soccer. Electronic Arts itself is a powerhouse in sports gaming, boasting highly popular franchises such as FIFA for soccer and Madden for football.
Turqi Alnowaiser, the deputy governor and head of international investments at the Public Investment Fund, emphasized that the Saudi fund is “uniquely positioned in the global gaming and e-sports sectors, building and supporting ecosystems.”
Andrew Wilson, the chief executive of Electronic Arts, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I am more energized than ever about the future we are building.”
Prior to this, the record for the largest buyout of a public company stood at $32 billion (excluding debt), set by the acquisition of the Texas utility company TXU by a group of private equity firms in 2007.
The Electronic Arts buyout will necessitate approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a panel of government agencies responsible for reviewing international deals for potential national security implications. Concerns have previously been raised by some lawmakers regarding the Saudi fund’s investments in sports, citing national security reasons, and they have called for increased scrutiny.
Aaron Bartnick, a former Biden administration official who specialized in national security reviews of foreign investments and is currently a fellow at Columbia University, noted that “People don’t often think about video games and national security together, but these are platforms that reach millions of Americans and often collect a lot of personal data.” He suggested that the committee would likely “want to take a close look even if they ultimately end up signing off.”
Merger reviews during the Trump administration have often factored in political considerations. The Trump administration has maintained strong ties with the Saudi government, and the Saudi sovereign fund holds one of the largest stakes in Mr. Kushner’s investment firm. His fund, managing approximately $5.4 billion, is known primarily for acquiring smaller stakes in companies such as the Shlomo Group, an Israeli car-leasing and financing firm, and Dubizzle, a classifieds site based in Dubai.
Silver Lake, with around $110 billion under management, is a recognized leader in some of the largest technology transactions on record. Its portfolio includes multi-billion-dollar deals with Dell Technologies, first taking it private and later bringing it public again.
Electronic Arts faces a $1 billion termination fee if its board ultimately decides against the buyout or if shareholders reject the agreement. Conversely, the investors would be liable for a $1 billion fee if they fail to secure regulatory approval, among other conditions.
EA would also incur a fee if it were to abandon the current buyout agreement in favor of a superior offer. Analysts had previously speculated that a major media conglomerate, such as Disney, might attempt to acquire the gaming company.
In recent years, the gaming industry has seen significant shifts as companies strive to adapt to evolving player preferences and demands.
Console games, designed for platforms like PlayStation and Xbox, along with traditional desktop computer titles, have generally experienced a decline. In contrast, a massive audience has gravitated towards free-to-play games like Fortnite, with many gamers engaging via smartphones and other mobile devices. Additionally, casual mobile games, which require less development time and financial investment compared to major studio titles like those from Electronic Arts, have gained immense popularity.
Analysts anticipate that the Saudi-led plan involves making some of Electronic Arts’ most beloved titles broadly accessible, potentially even free-to-play, across various platforms, including mobile devices and streaming television applications. Future growth strategies could encompass in-app purchases or partnerships with popular streamers to reach wider audiences. For instance, Netflix is actively engaging with gamers across its connected TV platforms.
The deal is projected to finalize in the second quarter of 2026. Electronic Arts will maintain its headquarters in Redwood City, California, and continue under the leadership of Mr. Wilson.
Mike Isaac contributed reporting.
Correction: Sept. 29, 2025
An earlier version of this article misstated the expected closing date for the buyout of Electronic Arts. It is the second quarter of 2026, not the first quarter of 2027.